The Rivalries

The Rivalry Game, Ohio State-Michigan Army-Navy, is every school's dream match-up. For the Athletic Director it can make the athletic budget solvent as the Mansfield games did for Sid Boyd in the 1930's. For the coaches and players it is the game that can make you forget the rest of the season unless you're conference champions.

When a trophy is involved, like the Old Oaken Bucket or the Little Brown Jug, the post-game award can be an edible memory. For Ashland there have been four trophies involving our longest rivals. In the Century Season the Shelby game will the 94th meeting since 1909. The other oldest rivals are: Wooster 88 times, Galion 74 games, and Mansfield Senior 61 games since 1908. We have played Mansfield Madison 57 times consecutively since 1949, and Marion Harding 58 times in the NCO and OHC days. The only school that does not involve a rivalry trophy is Galion.

The four trophies are: the American Legion Cup between Wooster and Ashland; the Red Lantern between Mansfield and AHS in football and basketball; the Old Erie Bell with Marion Harding and the A's; and the SAM trophy involving Shelby, Ashland, and Madison. The Orange and Black did not fared well in these encounters.

The Ashland and Wooster Legions donated the American Legion Cup for the annual Armistice Day game on Nov. 11th. When one school won three times they kept the Cup. After Wooster won the first three games 1930-32 the contest was not renewed.

The most memorable trophy was the Red Lantern. Originally it gained a reputation for its endearing luck, which followed the 1932 AHS basketball team to the State Tournament. The lantern appeared at the Mansfield-Ashland District tournament game in Sandusky. MHS coach Russell Murphy suggested at the NCO league meeting that the two schools vie for its possession after each future football and basketball game.

The advent of the mascot seems to have come from a Highway department detour between Ashland and Mansfield. The alleged and suspected ringleader was the famous Ashland speedster Jim Jesson. Regardless the lucky lantern could be found in Ashland hanging in the coach's office hallway leading to McDowell auditorium/gymnasium.

The Red Lantern only involved four football games between 1932-35. The record was one tie ('32), two losses, and another 7-6 win ('34). The competition ended in Feb. 1936 when Mansfield failed to award and even find the treasured warning signal.

The third prize was the Erie Bell. The bell was presented by the Erie railroad when their steam locomotives and passenger travel was coming to a close. The railroad had been a popular mode of travel by fans and bands for the Ashland-Marion games for three decades. The first series ran from 1953 to 1959. After the Presidents won the State championship, including a 68-20 mauling of the A's, the Arrows entered the Cardinal Conference in 1960. The two schools didn't meet again until 1987.

Harding's AD Dick Henry and Ashland's AD Ev DeVaul renewed the competition for the bell in 1994 after both schools had entered the OHC. The battle for the bell extended over sixteen games, and it came to a close when the Ohio Cardinal Conference was formed in 2003. Ashland only won the Erie prize once in 1994 for a record of 1-14-1.

The final trophy was the SAM trophy, which donated was by Mansfield jeweler Samuel V. Fox. It was awarded to the winning team of the three games between the Shelby, Ashland, and Madison. The seniors on the winning team were given small gold football charms. The series lasted six years from 1955 to 1960. Ashland only won it in 1956.

Overall for the 29-years of the trophy competition Ashland's record was 6 wins, 27 losses, and 2 ties with the five schools, and they held a memento just three times.

Beyond the four trophies several notable rivalries existed during the century of 895 games. The Alumni game on Thanksgiving Day became so heated that the series was halted in 1919. During the 20s and 30s the Mansfield game was the most important game of the season. In the 50's and 60's Shelby and Bill Wilkins was the team to beat. In the Cardinal Conference years New Philly-Dover was the stepping-stone to the CCC. During the OHC days Madison seemed to be the stumbling block to any trophy.

Nonetheless, any time a school won consecutive championships or made the computer playoff, and even a State Championship like Benedictine, Galion, or Orrville, they became the team to beat on the schedule.